Name : __________________________

The National Grid

Part One: Losing Energy

The diagram shows a model of one way of setting up the National Grid.

1. Draw lines to label the picture correctly.

pylon
power
station cable

house
close to house far
the power away from
station the power
station

2. Touch the cables. What do you feel?

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3. Which bulb is the brightest?

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4. Which bulb is the dimmest?

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5. Explain why one of the bulbs is dimmer than the other.

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6. What is the problem with this way of setting up the National Grid?

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 The National Grid

Part Two: Losing Less Energy

The diagram shows a model of the way that the real National Grid is set up.

step up pylon
power transformer
station cable

house
step down
close to
transformer
the power
station house far
away from
the power
station

1. What two things have been added?

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2. Touch the cables. Are they warm? YES / NO

3. Is the bulb far away from the power station brighter than before? YES / NO

4. There is MORE / LESS energy wasted than before.

5. What does the step up transformer do to the voltage?

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6. What does the step down transformer do to the voltage?

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7. Explain why the real National Grid uses step up and step down transformers.

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